Pagina's

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

In On My Wishlist I spotlight books that I'm really looking forward to. I know there's a meme Waiting on Wednesday and there even are others, but I'm going to rebel and do it how I want it (hehe). I'll feature the synopsis as posted on Goodreads and put a linkie to the Goodreads page of the book. This week: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs.

Synopsis:
Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

Medusa's Triplets, people!! When I first heard about this book, I was immediately ridiculously excited. I love Greek mythology and the sound of this one is great. It's the first book in a series. A series about Medusa's triplets!! Aaah! Also, I *love* the cover art.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

After reading John's collaboration novel with David Levithan in Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I thought it was time for me to read some books of him that he wrote alone. I started off with Looking for Alaska, which was named a favorite with a lot of people.

The book tells us about how Miles transfers to Culver Creek, where he meets the Colonel and Alaska Young. Miles instantly falls for Alaska, but she's involved with someone else, so instead, he spends his time staring at her and fooling around with the pranking that the Colonel, Alaska and Takumi seem to have made a profession of.

Looking for Alaska is beautifully written, funny, witty and touched my heart while reading it. I love how John is able to make the characters so smart without making me feel stupid for not knowing the things they know.

Personally, I missed some closure in the end, but when I look back at it, I don't think it's supposed to give real closure. Some things you will just never know.

Monday, August 29, 2011

First of all I want to say thank you to everyone who read the posts that went up in my Birthday Week, who answered the questions, entered in the giveaways and tweeted about it. Thank you so much!

Also a very special thank you to Angela Morrison, Josephine Angelini, Leah Clifford, Kady Cross and Carrie Harris for making my week extra special by making your guest posts possible. You guys are my rockstars! *sends hugs*

So now the moment you're probably all waiting for! I have some winners to announce, so let's get to it!

Bloodlines

We Fancy Books

Sing me to Sleep

Elle

Starcrossed

Braiden

A Touch Mortal

Bella @ Cheezyfeet Books

The Girl in the Steel Corset

Tamara Basic

Bad Taste in Boys

Sarah Anguish

PS: The winners for the Youtube giveaways will be announced on my channel this week.

Congratulations to all winners! I will send you an email later today so make sure you check your inbox (and possibly your spam folder). You will have 48 hours to reply to my email in order to claim your prize.

And now it's time for a little announcement! September will be a theme month, and the theme is:

The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa! I've been wanting to start reading this series for a while now and I decided to make September Iron Fey Month in honor of the release of The Iron Knight in October (!). I will be posting reviews for all four of the books, as well as discussion posts and more fun stuff (I might be giving something away).

Hopefully you'll join me in reading the books and talking about them. I'm very excited!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Another Sunday, another In My Mailbox! In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where we show what book(ish thing)s we got this week :) I had another good week and what was even better was that I only bought one book! Yay me! Here's this week's vlog:

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined…

I loved The Girl in the Steel Corset and I loved to see how Finley got where we saw her there! Finley has had problems with controlling her 'other side' but instead of being feared, she is asked to be the companion of Phoebe, a debutante who is engaged to a man Phoebe's mother doesn't trust. Finley will have to find out what she is up against before it's too late.

It was a short story, but I really liked reading it. It showed us a little bit of Finley's background and even gave us a few glimpses of Griffin.. Who you will see more of in the first book, of course ;)

Friday, August 26, 2011

I like to buy books. I like to buy lots of books, to be exact. I love the look of them on my shelves and I love the thrill of getting a book that I've been dying to read.

So far, so good. Only lately (use this term lightly please), I've been reading a lot of my new books. I love to read on my Kindle, so there are no books on my shelves that actually get read. I also read books that I got in semi-recently. The result is that I have a lot of books that I was once ridiculously excited for, but are now still unread on my shelves. And it's getting out of hand. So I figured I'd give myself a little social pressure by telling you guys that I'm going to make a dent in that they-always-stay-on-my-shelves-waiting-to-be-read-pile.

This is the cube of books that holds the books that I was so excited for months ago and are still unread (classics are exception, I only acquired those recently). I even gave them a special cube in my book closet so I could clearly see them when I looked at my books. No luck, I still haven't picked them up. I need peer pressure!

The ten books below (and in the picture) are books that I want to finish before 2012 starts. That gives me 4 months, which may be even a little long to accomplish a goal like this, but I already tried to let them get my attention and failed months ago. SO. I have until December 31st, 2011 to finish the following books:

I can do this. It's doable. I can do this. I can.. Hey, what's that pretty cover over there?! *snaps out of it* See why I need you guys to be able to do this? I'll try to do a little thingie in my wrap up posts from now on to show if I actually made progress in this Personal Reading Goal. Wish me luck!

Do you have any books that you were dying to read and yet.. they are still unread now you've had the book for days/weeks/months/years?

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

Perfect Chemistry was recommended to me a lot of times. I heard that the series was good, so I decided to pick up a copy and ended up reading it in one sitting.

The story isn't that original - good girl with a boyfriend and steady school life gets paired with dangerous latino gang member and they don't want anything to do with eachother in the beginning - but Elkeles knows how to write her story to keep you reading. Like I said, I read it in one sitting and to be honest, I just didn't want to put the book down.

I liked Alex' cockiness, his cheek and his wit, and how he just kept going even though Brittany made it clear she was not interested. The bet that Alex places brings them even closer together and I really liked seeing how the story developed. Elkeles did what I like in love stories: she actually builds the relationship. No insta-love, but instead a carefully woven bond and connection between her characters. Thumbs up!

But that epilogue.. Jeesh, that was cringe-worthy!!

My overall rating:

A four minus for Alex and Brittany, and a promise to pick up Rules of Attraction.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

In On My Wishlist I spotlight books that I'm really looking forward to. I know there's a meme Waiting on Wednesday and there even are others, but I'm going to rebel and do it how I want it (hehe). I'll feature the synopsis as posted on Goodreads and put a linkie to the Goodreads page of the book. This week: Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton.

Synopsis:
Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

Waaaah!! I *LOVED* Angelfire and I CAN'T WAIT for Wings of the Wicked to come out. Ellie is such a kickass character! And Will <3 AND CADAN!! Courtney said that we would see more of Cadan in the sequel, so of course I'm excited for that, TOO. And yes, I realize that this little paragraph is full of random capitalization, but I'M JUST SO EXCITED! *preorders*

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

In his action-packed debut, Knight introduces us to Ash, our main character who's not afraid of kicking some butt. The story starts off with a beating, and has several more scenes in which violence and action play a big role. In the beginning I didn't like it - so much action and I had no clue what was going on - but when the story developed it got better and better, working up to an amazing climax.

There was something I was having difficulty with in this book, especially in the beginning. Knight's writing style feels forced at times, like it didn't come naturally, making it difficult for me to read some parts. Around halfway through the book, this changed (or it didn't bother me so much anymore) and the story picked up even more pace.

Having said that, I really liked how the different myths were all mixed together in this book. I'm a sucker for Greek mythology, but I really liked the combination of all these different gods and goddesses and the way the Oracle was woven into the story.

Ash is a difficult character, she's stubborn and thinks she knows everything, but she's not a bad character. If I had to pick one character for follow around in the book, it would've been Ash. She's insecure, which makes it easier to relate to her than when she would have been arrogant on top of her stubborness.

I really liked Colt. He's not *that* important during the story (yet), but I liked him. Not completely swoon-worthy or whatever, but he made a nice change in guys for Ash, who seemed to have been dating only guys who were in it for her body.

And you have to give it to Knight - when the story builds up to the climax, he sure knows how to write an ending and a cliff hanger!! I totally didn't see that coming, but ooooh man does he have me excited for the sequel!! (Darn you Karsten, I have to wait so long for Embers and Echoes to come out!) I would have wanted to read the second book *only* because of that ending, so that must be telling you something!!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Welcome to Day 7 of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza! It's the last day of my Birthday Week, but we're going out with a BANG! It was my birthday on 17th August and I'm celebrating with an entire week packed with guest posts and giveaways. Click the "Daph's Birthday Bash Extravaganza"-tag to see all posts of this week!

To close off the week, the fabulous Carrie Harris is here! What better way to close off a birthday week than with someone who writes about ZOMBIES?! Carrie is the author of Bad Taste in Boys and she's currently working on the second Kate Grable book; Bad Hair Day, which will come out in 2012.

A little bit more about Bad Taste in Boys;

Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town... and stay hormonally human.

Just in case you haven’t read it, BAD TASTE IN BOYS is about a science geek named Kate who discovers that her high school football team has been zombified. Which is bad. So she’s dashing hither and thither trying to avert the zombocalypse. And in the process, she gets thrown together with the guy of her dreams. Who asks her to Homecoming.

Unfortunately for Kate, her genius mama is in Germany doing a visiting professorship in theoretical physics, so in this deleted scene, she’s stuck dress shopping with her dad and her geektastic little brother Jonah. Because even zombie hunters need dresses.

We stop by Dance Explosion first to get Jonah’s tights, and he asks me to pay for them so no one will know they’re really his. I’m tempted to tell him no, because he’s the kind of guy who runs around in elf ears so it’s not like a little tight-buying is going to hurt his street cred. It’s already dead and buried. But I figure that it’s worth it to worm myself a little more into his good graces, so I swallow the smart alec comments and do it.

After we get the tights, we head to one of the big department stores. My mind is only half on this trip; on one hand it’s tres cool to be shopping for a Homecoming dress because I actually have a date. On the other hand, I keep looking around behind us just in case there are any zombies lurching around the food court and, you know, eating.

My paranoia makes me pretty slow, so I end up following Dad and Jonah into the store. Dad heads straight for formalwear without even having to ask for directions, and he starts rummaging through the racks with a level of gusto that is almost embarrassing. He may be a science geek, but he’s got an innate sense of style. In fact, he’s the only guy in his department that has never once worn a pocket protector.

I stop in front of a rack of sparkly dresses, trying to figure out if there’s anything that’s going to make me look any less like a prepubescent boy. Seriously. If someone cut off my head and put it on Jonah’s body, no one would notice the difference. I mean, I would of course, but no one else.

“I’m no expert on dresses,” says Dad, “but it seems to me that you need to show exactly the right proportion of skin. It’s a mathematical proportion, see? You want to make this guy want to see more without giving him the idea that he’s going to get it. Because he’s not going to get it, right?” He looks at me with mock sternness, and I nod with as much meekness as I can manage. Which isn’t much. “This one is nice. Where’s Jonah?” He pulls out a shiny silver dress and thrusts it at me. The cut isn’t bad, but the fabric makes me think of fish scales, and I don’t really want to look like the Little Mermaid, especially if Coach is on the loose. His mermaid fetish is bad enough to begin with, but combining that with cannibalistic tendencies reaches a whole new level of bad. “Let me get your brother; we need an adolescent opinion. Jonah? Jonah!”

After a couple of minutes of shouting, Jonah finally makes his way down the aisle toward us. “Can we go now?” he asks. “I feel like crap.”

“Not yet,” says Dad. “I need your opinion. We’re trying for the appropriate skin to dress ratio. What do you think?” He takes the dress from me, holds it up for Jonah’s inspection, and shakes it.

I fully expect Jonah to run away screaming his teeny little head off, but he doesn’t. He looks carefully at the dress and then gives me the up and down look, like he’s actually trying to determine where I would sit on the ho-prude continuum. I have the sudden urge to throw my hands over my chest, because my little brother absolutely should not be giving me the up and down look.

I was thinking something similar a few seconds ago, but it still stings.

“Hey!” I exclaim. “Quit talking about me like I’m not here!”

“No offense.” Jonah starts rummaging through the racks and holds up a black dress. It’s not bad except that it’s one of those one-sleeved things that make your boobs look lopsided. Or it would if I had any.

I am starting to regret saying yes to Aaron. I don’t need this kind of pressure.

“What do you think of this one?” asks Jonah, and I start to reply, only he’s not talking to me. He’s talking to Dad.

“I think she needs some more on the top, if you know what I mean,” says Dad, and then he actually makes boobie gestures in front of his chest.

I hide my face. This trip is becoming more horrific than the zombies. When Jonah shakes my shoulder a moment later, I look up in a panic, thinking that I shouldn’t have tempted fate with the zombie crack, even if I didn’t say it out loud. But there are no undead in sight. It’s just Jonah, holding up a wine-colored silk dress. It’s definitely the kind that you’d freeze your boobs off in.

“What is this?” I say, taking the dress dumbly.

“It’s your Homecoming dress, you idiot,” he says.

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Thank you so much for sharing this scene with us! Kat sounds like the ultimate zombie hunter and personally, I cannot wait to see how this whole Homecoming will turn out.. :D Thanks so much, Carrie! <3

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And of course, this post wouldn't be complete without a giveaway. I'm giving away one (1) hardcover copy of Bad Taste in Boys to one lucky winner. Make sure that Bookdepository ships to your country, as the prize will be shipped out by myself using BD. All you have to do is read the rules listed on top of the form, and fill in the form *HERE*. That's it!

This giveaway is now closed. Winner TBA

You don't need to be a follower to be able to enter, but it is of course much appreciated if you'd follow the blog :)

Thanks for stopping by in my EPIC Birthday Week! This was the last day of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza (all together: AAAAAAAAAAWW)! I hope you had as much fun as I did, you guys made my birthday awesome!

Today's question: Which fictional character would you leave in charge of organising your birthday party? What theme would you pick for that party?

Another Sunday, another In My Mailbox! In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where we show what book(ish thing)s we got this week. It was my birthday on Wednesday (in case you haven't noticed.....) and I treated myself to a box of books from Amazon besides the books I got for review and I got a fab hoodie in :D Here's this week's vlog :)

Whoa, awesome week right?! Totally worthy birthday week edition of IMM!! *excited* I've read Graffiti Moon (so cute!) and He's After Me already and I really really liked those - although liked wouldn't be a good word to describe the story in the latter. As for the rest of them: I'm REALLY excited for all of those. And I'm already best buddies with my new hoodie - it's just so comfy. It's WAY too big but I love it anyway :) It's going to keep me warm in this Dutch summer *shakes fist at sun playing hide and seek*

Don't forget to check out my Birthday Bash Extravaganza posts! There are AMAZING guest posts and giveaways all week long!

That's all for my mailbox this week, what did you get in yours? Happy reading! :)

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Welcome to Day 6 of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza! It was my birthday on 17th August and I'm celebrating with an entire week packed with guest posts and giveaways. Click the "Daph's Birthday Bash Extravaganza"-tag to see all posts of this week!

I'm so thrilled about today's post! The lovely Kady Cross, author of The Girl in the Steel Corset, is over at the blog today with a character interview that she arranged between Mister Jack Dandy and Finley! TGitSC is my favorite steampunk and I'm really looking forward for its sequel, The Girl with the Clockwork Collar, to come out!

A little bit about The Girl in the Steel Corset;

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch...

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits. Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help-and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on, even if it seems no one believes her.

Since I'm on deadline for a new book, I thought I'd get some help with the character interview. So, I've asked Jack Dandy for a little assistance. Since I'm to blame...er, thank for all the attention he's been getting, I figure he owes me. He seemed suspiciously eager to help out. Here is the transcript of that interview. For the reader's sake, I've made Mr. Dandy's dialogue a tad easier to understand by spelling out the words they way they should sound, rather than the charmingly annoying way he says them.

Jack Dandy: Enlighten me, Treasure -- do you prefer your gentlemen with dark eyes or light?
Finley Jayne: Would this question have anything to do with the fact that your eyes are dark and Griffin's are gray?
JD: None whatsoever. Answer the question. Unless you want me to assume...?
FJ: I prefer gentlemen whose eyes are focused on a spot higher than my chest. (clears her throat)
JD: What? I was admiring your necklace.
FJ: Right. I think I prefer light eyes.
JD: You wound me. Fine. Which would you rather have, a life of excitement and danger with a dashing rake, or a dull, boring future under the thumb of a budding autocrat?
FJ: That depends. Does the autocrat love me?
JD: I suppose he does, in his aristocratic, cold-fish sort of way.
FJ: What of the rake? Does he love me?
JD: Rakes don't believe in that stuff, Treasure. He would, however, worship you til the end of your days.
FJ: Call me romantic, but I'd rather be adored for the rest of his. I suppose I'll have to take the autocrat.
JD: Are you mental?
FJ: There are two parts to me, Jack. I'm probably mad as a hatter. I'd rather be loved and have the comfort of a little money, than adored by a man who will no doubt leave me as soon as the next challenge comes 'round.
JD: I can't imagine anyone getting bored with you.
FJ: (smiles) And I cannot imagine you sticking around long enough to find out.
JD: You're a heartless wench, Treasure. I like it.
FJ: Are you going to ask me any serious questions?
JD: I have been serious.
FJ: Jack.
JD: Bollocks. Fine. (sound of paper being uncrumpled) When did you first notice that you were different from other girls? And what's so wrong with being different, I ask you? Why should you want to be like everyone else? You should revel in what you are.
FJ: I first noticed it when I was about twelve, but it's gotten increasingly worse since then. Only lately have I begun to feel stable. And there is nothing wrong with being different, Jack. I like being different. What I wanted was to be able to trust myself and feel in control of my own life.Surely you understand that. I don't want to end up like my father.
JD: I understand perfectly, love. I'd hate to be like my old man.
FJ: Who is your father?
JD: I'm the one asking the questions. If you could be any animal, what would it be?
FJ: A house cat. A big fat one that gets lots of love during the day and hunts mice at night.
JD: I'm finding you strangely attractive right now, what with all this talk of mice-stalking.
FJ: Don't be sarcastic. You asked.
JD: What do you like the most about yourself?
FJ: My strength.
JD: And the least?
FJ: (pauses) My toes.
JD: Your toes? Brilliant. That's a soul-baring answer if ever I've heard one.
FJ: I'm not telling one of the most infamous criminals in London what I consider to be my greatest weakness. JD: Think I'd use it against you?
FJ: No, but you'd use it to your own advantage.
JD: True enough. Alright, they want to know what's next for you and your friends?
FJ: We're going to New York City to find Jasper, and hopefully bring him back to London where he belongs. With us.
JD: Sounds dangerous. May I come?
FJ: No. You have to stay here and keep the city on its toes.What would the people of London do without you?
JD: True, they do quite depend upon me to keep the gears and cogs moving as they ought. You will be careful in New York, won't you?
FJ: (grins) Have you ever known me to be anything else?
JD: Oh, look at the time! I've got to go. Cheerio, Treasure.

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Thank you so much Kate for stopping by and sharing the interview you arranged with Jack and Finley! He's a real charmer, that mister Dandy.. I wonder why he was so eager to do the interview. Maybe he just wanted the pleasure of Finley's company? Or maybe he wanted to do it so she wouldn't be spending time with Griffin.. We'll never know, I think! I do know that I cannot wait for The Girl in the Clockwork Collar to come out!

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And of course, this post wouldn't be complete without a giveaway. I'm giving away one (1) hardcover copy of The Girl in the Steel Corset to one lucky winner. Make sure that Bookdepository ships to your country, as the prize will be shipped out by myself using BD. All you have to do is read the rules listed on top of the form, and fill in the form *HERE*. That's it!

This giveaway is now closed. Winner TBA

You don't need to be a follower to be able to enter, but it is of course much appreciated if you'd follow the blog :)

Thanks for stopping by in my EPIC Birthday Week! Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what's up on the seventh and final day of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza :)

Today's question: If you could invite three fictional characters to your birthday party, who would they be and why?

Friday, August 19, 2011

Welcome to Day 5 of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza! It was my birthday on 17th August and I'm celebrating with an entire week packed with guest posts and giveaways. Click the "Daph's Birthday Bash Extravaganza"-tag to see all posts of this week!

Today's giveaway centers around my Youtube channel! There will be two (2) winners there, who each will win one of the books that I mention in the video!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Welcome to day 4 of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza! It was my birthday on the 17th, and I'm celebrating by hosting a week filled with giveaways and other awesome stuff! Be sure to check out my introduction post to see what else is going on :)

The lovely Leah Clifford is over at the blog today! Leah is the debut author of A Touch Mortal, which is the first book in a trilogy. To read my review, click here. I really really REALLY liked A Touch Mortal so I'm thrilled that Leah and Gabe could find the time to pay my little blog a visit!

A little bit about A Touch Mortal;

Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick-up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long, happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.

Sitting here in Milton’s waiting for Gabe to show up, it hits me. I’m about to hang out not only with an angel, but one of the Bound. Supposedly they’re the good guys, but I mean, they WERE responsible for that whole flooding the Earth thing. I do trust him; this isn’t my first time hanging out with him. But the nerves are firing before the coffee starts to kick in and long before Gabe rushes into the coffee shop fifteen minutes late, and completely flustered.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so totally sorry,” he bursts out, slipping into the booth, across from me.

“No worries,” I manage with a smile, secretly proud not to get all tongue-tied. Because honestly, he’s gorgeous, like carved-marble-statue-in-a-museum beautiful from the chiseled cheekbones to the golden curls that fly free when he drops back the hood of his jacket. I remind myself that there’s NO chance. Not only am I a mortal, but Gabe doesn’t play for my team, if you get my drift.

He snickers suddenly, as if he can read my thoughts and then I remember he can.

I feel my face flush. “Interview?” I remind him.

“Don’t be embarrassed for giving me a compliment, Sweetheart.” He slides my cup toward himself and takes a sip. “Question away!”

“So,” I start, taking up my notebook. I tap my pen against the table, not sure where to go from here.

“What’s it like to be one of the Bound?” he prods. “Can I tell you about Upstairs? Can I put in a good word for you?” He smiles and points up, and I can’t help but roll my eyes.

“Actually, I think everyone wants to know about the Suiciders.”

He takes a deep gulp from my cup and pushes it back to me. When he speaks, he seems almost weary. “Ah, the Siders.”

“What exactly is a Sider?”

“They were mortals once. Teenagers or just a little older.” There’s a sadness in his voice so raw, I regret asking. “But something changed. They just started showing up a few years ago. I’m trying to figure out where they came from. All we know so far is that they have no path, and that their Touch seems to drive you mortals into a frenzy.” He draws his finger through some spilled sugar on the table. “Depending on your mood when they touch you, it can mean anything from a manic club night to…well…not so good things.” He sighs, his grin going forced. “Next?”

“Um…” I look down at the notebook, the few questions listed. “You’ve been helping Az, who’s half Fallen. Tell me about him.”

“Az?” He perks up. “Az is a good guy. Stubborn,” he chuckles, “but good. He’s been struggling not to complete the Fall since things got screwed up with Eden.”

He stops suddenly, his lips pressing together.

“Eden’s a Sider. But he started dating her when she was a mortal right? Did he know what she would become? Did you? And Eden’s different than the other Siders because she’s the only one who can kill other Siders.” I glance up when he doesn’t answer. “Gabe?”

At first I think the yellow tint to his eyes is a trick of the light, but the longer he stays silent the more his hazel eyes lighten. “I don’t wanna talk about this. Next question.”

I’ve never seen him like this, agitated. Usually he’s a total ball of sunshine and happiness. “Okay, neutral topics.” I stare down at the cup in front of me. “Favorite kind of coffee,” I blurt.

His face gives way to instant relief, eyes darkening back to their normal hazel. “Whatever we're sharing tastes good. Carmel?"

I nod. “Movie?”

He laughs. “Oh wow, not a huge fan of movies, but I love plays. Anything on Broadway!”

I grin at him. “That is SO not surprising. Okay, last question. If you could tell the mortals...” I reconsider. “If you could tell anyone reading this interview one thing, what would it be?”

His fingers tap gently against the table but his eyes never leave mine. “I just wish you guys would all be nicer to each other. I mean, while you’re here, you might as well make the best of it, right?”

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Oh lala, I'm still a little overwhelmed after this interview with Gabe! *fans herself* Thanks so much to Leah for writing such an amazing character and giving me the opportunity to interview him :)

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Today wouldn't be complete without a giveaway! I'm giving away one (1) copy of A Touch Mortal to one lucky winner. Make sure that Bookdepository ships to your country, as the prize will be shipped out by myself using BD. All you have to do is read the rules listed on top of the form, and fill in the form *HERE*. That's it!

This giveaway is now closed. Winner TBA

You don't need to be a follower to be able to enter, but it is of course much appreciated if you'd follow the blog :)

Thanks for stopping by in my EPIC Birthday Week! Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what's up on the fifth day of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza :)

Todays's question: What is the weirdest gift you ever got for your birthday?

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Welcome to day 3 of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza! It's my birthday today (!!), so I'm celebrating by hosting a week filled with giveaways and other awesome stuff! Be sure to check out my introduction post to see what else is going on :)

One of my favorite books of this year was Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini and Josie is here on the blog today to do a guest post on strong female characters! I love me some kick ass heroines and I don't have to add that I don't like damsels in distress, right? Well Josie sure knows how to write strong female characters and she is here today to tell us why she loves them just as much as I do.

A little bit about Starcrossed:

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

On Women

I have a lot of women in my life. I always have. I was born the youngest of eight siblings and there’s only one boy nestled right there in the middle of all of us. For those of you who don’t like to do math while reading (like me), I’ll translate. I have six big sisters, and I do mean big. I’m 5’9” and I’m the littlest of the bunch.

We Angelini girls are all tall, and since we’re half Italian, we all have a ton of hair. When you ask most people to list what homey smells bring them back to their youth they usually say things like cookies baking in the oven. Not me. My childhood smells like hairspray baking on a curling iron.

And it sounds like Led Zeppelin. I was the only eight-year-old I knew that could recite all the words to “Stairway To Heaven”. That’s because my sisters raised me right. In the morning when I would get up to pee, they would lock me out of the bathroom, turn off the tape recorder (this was the 80’s) and make me sing the next line of whatever Led Zeppelin song they happened to be playing at the time in order to get in. I learned fast.

I’ve noticed that people comment a lot about my female characters, saying that I write strong women. There is a very simple explanation for why I do this, one very near and dear to me. My sisters would pummel the daylights out of me if I wrote a weak one.

Of course, now that we’re all grown-ups and pretty much civilized, the pummeling isn’t physical. It’s much, much worse. It’s “the look”. There’s nothing like six girls, all raised ultra Catholic, to shame the pants off of someone. Get them all in the same room—giving “the look” together—and I’m pretty sure they could glare a perfectly healthy person to death.

I’m no dummy. I know my sisters have a very good reason for forcing me to respect women on the whole. It’s because they want me to contribute to a world where women are valued as much as men. They want me to dig a little deeper and question the way women in our society are treated and demand better for the future. They love me with all their hearts, and they want me to respect myself as a woman.

I write strong women because I love and respect the strong women in my life.

I write strong women because my six sisters raised me right.

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Thank you so much Josie for this guest post! I don't think I would want to get "The Look" from you and your sisters.. *shudders* I'm looking forward to seeing more strong women in Sleepless :)!

And because I loved Starcrossed so much, today wouldn't be complete without a giveaway! I'm giving away one (1) copy of the UK paperback edition of Starcrossed to one lucky winner. Make sure that Bookdepository ships to your country, as the prize will be shipped out by myself using BD. All you have to do is read the rules listed on top of the form, and fill in the form *HERE*. That's it!

This giveaway is now closed. Winner TBA

You don't need to be a follower to be able to enter, but it is of course much appreciated if you'd follow the blog :)

Thanks for stopping by in my EPIC Birthday Week! Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what's up on the fourth day of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza :)

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Welcome to day 2 of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza! It's my birthday tomorrow and I'm celebrating by hosting a week filled with awesome! Be sure to check out my introduction post to see what else is going on :)

Today the lovely Scott from Sing me to Sleep is here! Angela Morrison, author of the Taken by the Storm series and Sing me to Sleep, made me fall in love with his character and Scott has agreed to do a little interview with me for my birthday!

A little bit about Sing me to Sleep;

THE TRANSFORMATION
Beth has always been "The Beast" - that's what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth's only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she's selected to be her choir's soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR
When Beth's choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek's untethered passion - for music, and for Beth - leaves her breathless. Because in Derek's eyes? She's not The Beast, she's The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK
The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek's been hiding a dark secret from her ...one that could shatter everything.

Q: Hi Scott! So nice of you to join me here! How are you doing?
Good. How 'bout you? Are you sure you want to talk to me? They always want to interview Derek.

Q: You look good! Have you been working out? ;)
Some. When I have time. Kind of busy these days.

Q: I heard that Angela Morrison is working on a musical stage adaption for Sing me to Sleep. How is that coming along? Will the complete story be translated to the musical adaption?
She's celebrating today. She just finished the rough draft of it. She tried to get the whole story into it. Some of my parts got cut. Figures.

Q: How do you feel about being a part of the musical? Are you nervous about singing in front of an audience?
It's crazy. I don't sing that well. I was always just in choir because Beth was. I think Angela wrote me more solos than Derek. She's nuts. I do like this cool song that she wrote for me and Beth to sing at the beginning--after the awful bullying scene. Want to hear some of it? This is the chorus:

IMAGINE
THERE’S MOONLIGHT
AND WE EN-
TER STAGE RIGHT
THE MUSIC
LIFTS YOU
UP INTO THE SKY

WE’RE FLYING
ON GOSMEER
IT’S MAGIC
THERE’S NO FEAR
CLOSE YOUR EYES, BETH
AND YOU CAN SEE!
CLOSE YOUR EYES, BETH
AND YOU CAN SEE!

I know it needs music. It'll be awesome--if I don't wreck it.

Q: What scenes are you most looking forward to?
The scene where we get to sing that song is going to be way cool. The prom scene and the scene where I finally kiss Beth will be awesome. Angela didn't edit THAT out. I told her I wouldn't be in it if she did.

Q: Are there any scenes that you wish weren't in the musical?
Oh, yeah. Every single solitary scene with Derek in it.

Q: How do you feel about being on stage with Beth?
I wouldn't do it unless I was on stage with Beth. She's my reason for everything.

Q: Do you have a special ritual? Or a good luck charm?
I don't know. I always wear the same socks when my brainiac team competes. I could try that. No, no, no. Wrong. Beth is my good luck charm. What else could a guy need?

Q: Will you sing me to sleep? (Aka will there be a soundtrack?)
That would be cool, but you're getting WAY ahead of us. First we need to let Harriet Bushman, the brilliant composer who is collaborating with Angela on the musical, write all the music. That could take awhile. Next step is to get a group to workshop it. We've got some good leads on that. Stay tuned to Angela's blog (http://caymansummer.blogspot.com). She'll announce updates there. A soundtrack, huh? You want to hear me on a soundtrack?

Q: Are you nervous?
Why do you keep asking me that? You think I'm going to suck, don't you?

Q: Is there anything you'd like to say to me or my readers before we end the interview?
I want to personally thank you for being Team Scott. I had no idea I had a team. Cool.

--------------------

Thanks so much Scott for this interview! And no, I don't think you're going to suck; in fact, I think you'll nail it. I was just teasing you!

I'm sure there are a lot of people out there now wanting to know more about you *wink*. Thanks Angela for creating such a touching story and such lovely characters.

--------------------

And because I loved Sing me to Sleep and this Birthday Bash Extravaganza post wouldn't be complete without a contest, I'm giving away one (1) copy of Sing me to Sleep to one lucky winner. Make sure that Bookdepository ships to your country, as the prize will be shipped out by myself using BD. All you have to do is read the rules listed on top of the form, and fill in the form *HERE*. That's it!

This giveaway is now closed. Winner TBA

You don't need to be a follower to be able to enter, but it is of course much appreciated if you'd follow the blog :)

Thanks for stopping by in my EPIC Birthday Week! Be sure to come back tomorrow to see what's up on the third day of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza :)

Today's question: If you could have any birthday cake you want, what would it look like?

Monday, August 15, 2011

It's the first day of my Birthday Bash Extravaganza and we're starting off with a Twitter giveaway! The prize? A UK paperback copy of Richelle Mead's Bloodlines! The way to enter is simple: Follow @lvngbooks on Twitter and tweet the following tweet:

Then copy the link to your tweet and fill out the form. You can gain one extra entry by tweeting again for a maximum of two tweets per person. Easy, right?

Rules:

You must be 13 or older to enter

Fill in the form to be entered in the giveaway

I will use Bookdepository to ship out the prize so make sure Bookdepository ships to your country

Winner will be picked at random

I have the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit

Deadline is August 26, 2011

»» Click here for the form! ««This giveaway is now closed. Winner TBA

The winner will be announced on the blog in the week of August 29th. I will also send the winner an email and the winner will have 48 hours to redeem their prize. If the winner fails to reply to my email within 48 hours, I will pick another winner.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Another Sunday, another In My Mailbox! In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where we show what book(ish thing)s we got this week. I had an absolutely phenomenal week and I LOVE what I got in this week!! Here's this week's vlog:

You wouldn't believe it when I tell you how hysterical I was when I got the email telling me I won the Kindle. When I believed what the email said, that is. Absolutely out of my mind. I wanted to get one for a couple of months now and had decided on asking gift cards for my birthday (next week) so I could buy it then, but this was so, SO, SO much better!! I've read two books so far on it and it reads really nice! I'm actually already done with reading Slide like I mentioned in the video (it's really good!), I read so quick now!

Anyhoo, I LOVE my mailbox for this week. Absolutely amazing! Love all the books, too!

Friday, August 12, 2011

It's my birthday on August 17th! And since it's my party, I decided to celebrate my birthday with all my lovely followers and book friends. What better to do that than to host a massive birthday bash extravaganza? There will be guest posts of AWESOME authors and I will be giving away books all week - yes, you read that right! There will be a Twitter and Youtube giveaway as well, so I won't exclude those of you who don't follow the blog :) To see what I'm giving away, you'll have to stay tuned because there will be a new post up every morning around 9 AM Amsterdam time.

A new post every day - There's someone who writes Steampunk.. An author who is influenced by Greek myth.. An author who has a thing for weird sentences in foreign languages.. And more! But they are all equally awesome. In short: something for everyone (I hope!)

The giveaways will go up between August 15th and August 21st, 2011. All giveaways are open internationally. I will use Bookdepository to ship out the prizes, so as long as Bookdepository ships to your country, you're eligible to enter. There may be additional rules for each giveaway, so make sure to read the rules as stated in the giveaway post.

There will be a question at the bottom of every post and I would love it if you guys would like to answer that in the comments! Just to keep that birthday spirit going :)